Caudex Plant Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular caudex plants with care guides, traits, and root management tips.
Featured Caudex Plant
Showing 21 of 79 species
© Daderot / CC0Adenia Globosa
Adenia globosa
An Adenia with a massive spherical caudex and thorny branches, very wild appearance.
© Ewald Schmidt (= Harbuse ) / Public domainAdenia Pechuelii
Adenia pechuelii
A rare Namibian Adenia with massive gray-green caudex exposed above ground.
Adenium Socotranum
Adenium obesum subsp. socotranum
From Socotra Island, growing into massive bottle trees several meters wide in habitat.
© Mauro Raffaelli / CC BY-SA 3.0Boswellia Neglecta
Boswellia neglecta
A frankincense relative caudex plant with white bark and unique branching, increasingly popular.
Commiphora
A myrrh-related caudex plant with peeling bark and distinctive trunk from Africa.
© Stan Shebs / CC BY-SA 3.0Dorstenia Gigas
Dorstenia gigas
From Socotra Island, growing into a massive bottle tree form, an ultimate rare species.
© Frank Vincentz / CC BY-SA 3.0Euphorbia Bongolavensis
Euphorbia bongolavensis
An endemic Madagascar species from Bongolava with flat caudex and thin branches.
© Frank Vincentz / CC BY-SA 3.0Euphorbia Cap-Saintemariensis
Euphorbia cap-saintemariensis
A rare Euphorbia from southern Madagascar with wavy leaves and flat caudex.
Euphorbia Guillaumiana
Euphorbia guillauminiana
A Madagascar Euphorbia with zebra-patterned trunk, rare and highly popular.
© Tomas Castelazo / CC BY 3.0Fouquieria Columnaris
Fouquieria columnaris
The Boojum Tree, iconic caudex tree of Baja California with tall conical trunk.
© Amante Darmanin from Malta / CC BY 2.0Fouquieria Fasciculata
Fouquieria fasciculata
A rare Fouquieria from Mexico with thick trunk and red flowers.
© しんぎんぐきゃっと / CC BY-SA 4.0Operculicarya Pachypus
Operculicarya pachypus
The pinnacle of caudex collecting from Madagascar. Bonsai-like intricate branching and massive caudex. Wild specimens trade for thousands of dollars. Root initiation is extremely challenging.
© Tomás Castelazo / CC BY-SA 2.5Pachycormus Discolor
Pachycormus discolor
Called Elephant Tree from Baja California, with white trunk and pink flowers.
© Dorian HUVELIN / CC BY-SA 4.0Pachypodium Ambongense
Pachypodium ambongense
A rare Pachypodium from NW Madagascar with white flowers and thick trunk, difficult to grow.
© User:Qwertzy2 / CC BY-SA 3.0Pachypodium Baronii
Pachypodium baronii
A rare Pachypodium with red flowers, the only red-flowered species in the genus.
© bat (Maria Vorontsova) / CC0Pachypodium Brevicaule
Pachypodium brevicaule
Known as Ebisu-warai in Japan, with a flat caudex shape and yellow flowers.
© Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova / CC BY-SA 4.0Pachypodium Eburneum
Pachypodium eburneum
A rare Pachypodium with white flowers, elegant ivory-colored trunk and large white blooms.
Pachypodium Makayense
Pachypodium makayense
From Makay Mountains, Madagascar, forming flatter, wider caudex than Gracilius.
© possibly Robert Jacob Gordon / Public domainPachypodium Namaquanum
Pachypodium namaquanum
Known for bending toward the sun, a unique rare species listed in CITES Appendix I.
© Hectonichus / CC BY-SA 3.0Pyrenacantha Malvifolia
Pyrenacantha malvifolia
An East African caudex plant with flat tuber and climbing vines, popular for its unique form.
Sarcocaulon Vanderietiae
Sarcocaulon vanderietiae
Called Bushman's Candle, a Geraniaceae caudex with waxy trunk.
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Caudex Plant FAQ
- How much do caudex plants cost?
- Pachypodium gracilius seedlings cost 2,000-10,000 yen, wild-collected specimens 30,000-200,000+ yen, and Operculicarya pachypus can reach hundreds of thousands of yen.
- Can beginners grow caudex plants?
- Adenium (Desert Rose) and Pachypodium seedlings are relatively easy and beginner-friendly. Just be careful with watering during winter dormancy, and you can enjoy them for years.
- How long do caudex plants live?
- Some specimens live for hundreds of years in the wild. In cultivation, they can thrive for decades with proper care. Watching the caudex thicken year by year is the greatest appeal.
- What should I check when buying caudex plants?
- Whether it's rooted is the most important point. Wild-collected imports are often unrooted and require root establishment. Beginners should start with rooted domestically grown seedlings.
- How do caudex plants overwinter?
- Many caudex plants go dormant in winter. Reduce watering from October, and withhold water completely from December to February. Keep indoors in a sunny spot at minimum 10°C.